JE starts morning session this year and SE starts primary school in the afternoon session. Our initial plan was to carpool for JE while SE goes with a transporter. So I'd fetch 4 kids to school alternating with my sis while SIL fetches all home. But I had misgivings about waking SE up before 6am in the morning... she'd be tired by the time she goes to school. The other option - leave her behind while I fetch the older kids, then double back to get her - would take me an extra 40mins and would be too taxing for me.
The final conclusion: Rely on transporters for both JE and SE. Was very lucky to find one for JE at the last minute. And she had friends going together so she was happy about it. (In hindsight, a transporter was a very good decision in light of my crazy work hours to come!)
The first morning: JE woke up bright and early and got ready. SE woke also and came out of the room hugging JE's doggy. She was totally dejected at JE leaving without her. Our maid Jane said that after I went downstairs with JE to wait for the transporter, SE lay down straight on the sofa hugging that doggy and sobbed for a long time. Poor girl!
JE, SE and doggy
SE's turn came in the afternoon. I'd taken the day off - luckily that was possible as it was still the calm before the storm at work.
My little girl, going to school already!
SE's friends from kindy signed up for the monthly food programme which was in a different section of the canteen. Oh no... how would she cope when I'm not there? She barely knows how to open wrappers of food, either not being able to get them open or tearing so forcefully that everything falls to the floor. There were so many kids. She doesn't speak Mandarin or understand it. For just this day... she was so happy to see me at recess time.
I have no friends, Mummy
From what I could see, SE spent the day waiting for school to finish. Teachers trooped in and out of her class. She didn't listen or look at them as she had no idea what they were saying. Basically everything just washed over her. I'm worried how this one would cope in a Chinese school.
Time to go home, yay!
At least SE looks ok in school on day 1 despite crying in the morning. Nowadays transporters are preferred over school buses because it is of less children ferried by transporters as compared to school buses.
ReplyDeleteCome to think of it, yeah seldom see school buses these days.
DeleteI know of parents who send one child to a chinese medium school and another child to a non chinese medium school mainly because they observe that the child doesn't show any affinity with the chinese language. Then there are cases where the parents just let their children go throught chinese medium primary school as they are and switched them to non chinese medium secondary schools although their children don't have affinity with the chinese language. Just monitor SE progress in chinese and see how it goes.
ReplyDeleteI do notice teachers in this school are a dedicated lot overall. Not thinking of switching at the moment, hope SE picks up the language soon.
DeleteHope that SE will make new friends soon and she will be able to adapt to the language once she is settled in a new place.
ReplyDeleteI really hope so too. It doesn't look great at the moment. She has those kindy friends but there are a few and sometimes it seems they're grouping together without her. Maybe SE's personality doesn't make it that easy for her to make friends also.
Delete